Grain-drill



(N0 Model.)v

A. J. MARTIN.

GRAIN DRILL.

I Patented July 15, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW J. MARTIN, OF MACEDON, NEWV YORK.

GRAIN-DRILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,417, dated July 15, 1890.

Application filed July 12, 1889. Serial No. 317,342. (No model.)

To "all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW J. MARTIN, of Macedon, in the county of WVayne and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Grain-Drills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to grain-drills in which a series of hoes are attached to drag bars which rise and fall independently; and it consists in improved means for applying a variable spring-pressure to depress the hoes for limiting their descent and for raising them out of action at will.

As the machine may be in all other respects of ordinary construction, I have shown in the drawings only such parts as are immediately related to my improvement.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan View of one side of a drill-frame and its hoes with my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line a: :10 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the main frame; B B, the drag-bars, which will be jointed attheir front ends to the frame, as usual, and C O are the hoes attached to the .respective drag-bars.

In applying my improvement I extend a rock-shaft D across the frame from side to side and seat it in bearings thereon. On this shaft, over each drag-bar, I secure firmly a longitudinally and vertically slotted arm E, with a pin 6 through its outer end. Through each of these arms, around the pin, I pass the upper end of a slotted bar or link F, the lower end of which is forked to straddle the dragbar and slotted vertically, as shown at f, to receive a pin f, passing through the dragbar. This arrangement permits the link to slide upward and downward in relation to the arm E, and also allows the beam and hoe to rise and fall to a limited extent in relation to the link. I prefer to utilize for this connection, as shown, the usual hinge pin or bolt uniting the hoe to the drag-bar. Around each link I place a helical spring g, seated at its lower end upon a shoulder f on the link and at its upper end against a sliding collar f encircling the link and bearing beneath the rounded ends of arm E, so that when the latter is turned down it will compress the spring.

In order to actuate the arms in unison, I

provide their shaft D with a sector-pinion G, and mount on the main axle, as shown, or other support an actuating-pinion K, provided with a hand-lever L, which is locked either directly or through an ordinary latch upon the fixed toothed plate M. Then this hand-lever is carried forward, it acts through the intermediate parts to turn all the arms E downward, and thereby compress all the springs so that they force down the hoes. The amount of this pressure may be varied at will. Under ordinary conditions the pins f bear in the upper ends of the slots f; but in the event of the hoe reaching an extreme depression in the ground the slots allow the hoe to descend beyond the level to which it could otherwise fall. On moving the hand-lever rearward the springs are first relieved from pressure, and thereafter thearms E act through their pins 6 to raise the links and hoes.

It willbe observed that the outer ends of the arm E are curved downward and rounded at the extremity to [it within the washers f Owing to the curvature of the arms, they present Wide vertical bearing-faces against the sides of the links, so that the latter are guided in a direct vertical line and prevented from crowding the hoes toward the right or the left. The curvature also admits of the arms swinging through a long are without affecting the security of their bearin g on the washer f I am aware that springs acting to depress drag-bars have been arranged in many ways in connection with devices for changing their tension and for lifting the bars, and my invention in this regard is therefore limited to the peculiar arrangement of parts herein shown.

I believe myself to be the first to provide for the vertical independent play of the dragbars in relation to the spring-actuated links and the link-controlling mechanism.

IV hat I claim is- 1. The main frame and the drag-bar to carry the hoe, in combination with the rock-shaft provided with arms, means for locking the shaft in different positions, the links connecting the arms and the drag-bar and having a limited Vertical play in relation to each of said parts, and the springs acted upon by the arms and acting to depress the links, whereby the drag-bar may be positively lifted or forced downward with a spring-pressure to to the drag-bars, and the springs seated 100- I0 3 limited point, but permitted to fallbelow said tween the arms E and shoulders on the links. point free from the influence of the spring. In testimony whereof I hereunto set my 2. The main frame and the drag-bars, in hand in the presence of two attesting Wit- 5 combination with the hand-lever, its locking nesses.

devices and pinion, the rock-shaft with its ANDREW J. MARTIN. pinion and curved slotted arms E, the slotted Witnesses: links inserted through the arms and loosely WASHINGTON L. ACKER,

connected thereto by pins, and also connected GEORGE W'. KIRKPATRICK. 

